wfp welcomes a us$ 1 million donation from the usa to western saharan refugees

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a US$1 million contribution from the United States to provide food aid to the most vulnerable Western Saharan refugees in Algeria.

“The US contribution is crucial for our operations, which help ensure that tens of thousands of Western Saharan refugees have their basic food needs covered,” said Michelle Iseminger, Officer in Charge of WFP operations in Algeria.

The Western Saharan refugees arrived in Algeria in 1975 after fleeing a territorial conflict. They settled in four temporary camps near the remote desert town of Tindouf, where they endure harsh climatic conditions, isolation and a lack of economic opportunities.

Vulnerable refugees rely almost entirely on assistance from the international community. WFP provides food aid to over 100,000 of the most vulnerable among the refugees.

The current three-year WFP operation started on September 2004. Donors include the European Commission (US$13 million), Spain (US$5 million), Switzerland (US$ 4 million), the United States (US$4 million), Canada (US$2 million), Finland (US$1.3 million), France (US$609,000), Austria (US$428,000), Ireland (US$368,000), Italy (US$255,000), Germany (US$237,000) and Japan (US$38,000). This is in addition to US$6.4 million in multilateral contributions and a donation of US$23,000 from the private sector.